Valve apparatus for tanks.



A, CORNELIUS,

VALVE APPARATUS FOR TANKS. APPLIO'ATION FILED DEG.6,1908.

Pa teanted June 8, 19%

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENT {JLM Jffml A fromwala y Wm I L, A. fzfiRNELIUS. VALVE APELARATUS FOR TANK$.

APPLICATIQN FILED DEC. 5, 1908- Patented June 8, 1909.

2 3HEET8-SHEET 2.

I'V/TNESSES:

m m T N m J N W W a M M w) j w" LOUIS A. coRNELIUs'o'reRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

, vaLvE APPARATUS FOR TANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5, 1908. Serial No. 466,115.

patented June 3, 1999.

To all whom it may concern."

Be 1t known thatI, LOUIS A, CORNELIUS, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve Apparatus Eor 'tljankaof which the following is a speci;

ea ion.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in valve apparatus for tanks, and rise object is to provide some particularlv efficient means for olding and operating the inlet valves used for tanks and water closets or other similar us'es,and for connecting such fixtures to the water pipes. This object I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my device when applied, and with the valve closed, certain portions being shown in side plan instead of in section, and the seetion Fig. 2. F1g.'2 1s a top view of the device in part being indicated by the line z-z of the. same position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a lCIOIIZODlJltl cross-section on the linex x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 1s a detalled view of the clamping nut binding against the bottom of the tank. Fig. 5 is a 'detailed view c? the connection between the su ply pipeand the inlet pipe of this device. ig. 6 is a detail of the removable tip of the inlet pipe. Figs. 7 and 8 are further details of portions of the valve.

The numeral 1 represents the inlet pipe of this ap aratus. This pipe is designed to pass throug 1 the bottom of the tank or other receptacle to which the device is applied a suitable hole being providedtherefor.

2- is a cup valve designed to close downupon and over the upper top of the inlet pipe.

3 is a pivoted arm carrying the stem 3 of the ball or other float, which, by the rising and falling action of the water automatically operates the valve, and 3 is a threaded socket or sleeve attached to this lever arm 3 and adapted toreceive an adjustable screw.

4 is a connection having the upwardly-ex,- tending reduced portion 4', both portions being externally threaded.

-5 1s the supply pipe conveying the water;

justable in the socket 3 and heldinf'the' de-' sired adjustability by tl'lelockniit- 101 11 is ascrew with asuitabl'e 'headfor' con- Venient turning, which screw "detachably let pipe casting and the pivoted arm 13 ear rying the cup valve 2. At the other end of this arm is a suitablelug or extension 14 adapted to bear ,agbztinstthe adjustable screw 9.

15 is a central, rdownwardly projecting boss or point on the lpwer surfaceof the cup valve2.

16 indicates a metallic, rigid w sher or plate of circular forrnto correspondjwithgthe interior of the cup chamber 2;-but" iof materially less diameter so that the am m tilt or rock quite freely uponthepoint' 15' and ,without binding against the sides of' the chamber. I p 4 I I I 17 is a compressiblewaslie'r oi 'aiiyf cus tomary material, and, ofaidiameter normally a trifle greater than thediameter ofth'e cup chamber, so that it mustEbe slightly. crowded or pushed to insert it, therein, and so t hat it will not drop out o f,posiltion, by i't si'own weight when the on ,valve-isjraised, 18' is a removab etippiovifded'withf an external flange at its lower'end and of. an

internal diameter suitably corresponding to the diameter of the adjac ent portion of the inlet; pipe, and constructed porcelain, glass or some similar, eiy'hairl nd noncorrosive material. I. f

19 is a flanged bindingnut externally threaded and engaging with; 'anfinteiior thread ina suitable socket in the. main body of the inlet pipe head.

20 represents the,head.of the inlet pipe casting extended into [the circular J'iiange which bears upon the uppe1,'surface,of 'tl1e tank bottom, as indicated especially in Fig. 2, and with one point prolonged or extended so as to carry in suitable position the. lever arm 3, as especially indicatedin 1.

21 isthe removable screw pivotconnejcting the lever arm 3 with its supporting. entousion 20. a F

22 is 2. lug or shortar n upon the lower inner corner of lever arm3, adapted Ito, make engagement with and positively raise {cap valve, and 23 is a corresponding lug or projection upon the opposite lower corneradapted to stopand limit, at a proper pomt, the downward motionof the leverar ni- 3g :3

24 is a suitable packing or washer mterconnectsthe lug 12 attached to themes] in posed between the upper surface of the tank ottom and the lower surface of the flange or head 20. is the binding nut for the under surface of the tank bottom.

26 represents opposing lugs in the inner side of the connection 4 and extending down approximately to the bottom thereof, whereby this extension can be turned by a suitable wrench.

The general operation of the device is obvious, and not dissimilar from others of the same class.

in detail; and with reference to the remov- I, therefore, do not describe it able tip and self-adjusting valve' hereafter described, it is especially intended as an imsize, in the form of the screw-thread, etc.,

and it has been customary for this purpose forthe manufacturer to'make a considerable number of different forms of his device. each 'for'm'supplied with an inlet pipe of different directly or indirect y, or with any kind or form of su ply pipe, and the supply pipe section 5 wil 'be provided of suitable size and form to be attached to the main supply pipe already in position. In this manner I provide a series of assorted sizes of the connection 4 and its associated parts, as the section 5 and the connecting nut 6, and in this way can attach and adjust my standard feature, always of one size, to any place where its use may be desired.

The tip of the inlet pipe is sometimes difficult to maintain in proper condition. y A slight defect in the casting, or an injury received in handling or setting u making a break or an unevenness too slig t to be observed, or the ordinary effect of corrosion operating unequally around the tip, will produce a sli ht inequality which is not closed by the valve and which permits a troublesome leak. In endeavoring to supply a removable tip" of some non-corrosive material, I have employed, as the most suitablematerial, porcelain or glass, or some vitreous substance, but I have also found that inequalities and unevenness are difiicult to avoid, and that a tip of such material can not easily be ground to a smooth, even edge, as

through imperfections in manufacture, or"

through the wear of the thread, or for other reasons, of the tip not being in perfect alinement with the inlet pipe. All these qualities lead to the special necessity of a valve which will automatically adjust itself to "the plane of the surface of the tip. A further necessity for this same self-adjustment is found in the fact that with use, the horizontal plane ofthe cup valve closure will change, and that since this swings in the arc of a circle, a rigid valve which would be absolutely tight when in its position of original adjust ment would not be tight when the adjustment had been changed by wear or from accidental cause. I accomplish this self-ad justment by providing in the interior chamber of the cup valve three co-acting parts, viz, the central bearing point, the rigid washer of a smaller diameter than the cl1am-- her and the flexible washer of equal or greater diameter than the chamber. It is evident that the flexible washer must be supported and backed throughout its entire operating surface by a rigid, unyielding plane surface follower, and that this plane surface, in order to adjust itself to variations between the plane of the tipand the normal plane of the cup valve, must rock or tilt upon a central point. It is obvious, also. that if this rigid surface consists of a washer or plunger of the full diameter of the chamber, such rocking or tilting would be prevented, but that by making this washer of a firm and rigid substance, as metal, and by making it distinctly smaller in diameter than the interior of the chamber, it is permitted to rock or tilt so as to adapt it self to the lane of the tip, and at the same time will a ways receive, through the point 15, asubstantially central pressure causing it to exert equal pressure in all parts of its lower surface. The flexible washer 17, if it is fitted loosely upon the cup chamber, would not only have a tendency to drop down upon the tip when the valve was open, letting the rigid washer also drop and causing play or noise, but would not be positively lifted with the lifting of the cup valve, and might adhere to and remain upon the up er edge of the tip. I, therefore, make t iis washer of leather, or some similar material, and of distinctly larger diameter than the diameter of the chamber, so that it has to be crowded or forced into the position shown in Fig. l, and will be thereby held with all sufficient firmness to retain itself and the adjacent metallic washer in osition, both when the device-is in use and during the preliminary settin up or adjustment; and at the same time wiiibe sufficiently flexible to be forced by the washer above it into tight contact with the the fixture carryin entire per-i hery of the edge of the ti I have foun that by this described comhina-' thereof, or with its attachment to and a ustment 1n the tank. By thiscon'structionmay also use, w ithout other change or. al-' teration, a plurality of washers 16, as indicated in Fig. 7 and in Fig. 1, and I can there-- by easily compensate for varying thickness in the flexible washer 17 or for compression thereby by use, and can otherwise make more perfect adjustment.

I claim to have invented, and desire cure by Letters Patent, is r 1. The combination o'f-the main body'of the inlet pipe, a remov able tip for such inlet pipe, means for secur to se ing such tip in the fixture body in alinement with the inlet pipe,'a hinged cup valve for closing such tip, a flo at-carrying lever arm for automatically raising and lowering such hinged valve, a compressible washer con-.

.tained in and carried by such cu' valve, a metallic follower for such fiexib e washer,

such metallic follower being of less diameter than the *lIliZBI'lOI of the cup chamber. so as to permit a rocking motionther'ein and a. centrally located bearinglu'g in the top of such chamber bearing uponsuch follower.

2. The'combination of the main body of the fixture carrying the inlet pipe, a removable tip of vitreous material for such inlet pipe, means forsecuring such tip-in the fix'' ture body in alinement with the inlet pipe, a

hinged cup valve for closing such ti a floatcarrying lever arm for automatically raisin and low eringsuch hinged valve, a compressible washer contained in and carried by such .cup valve, a metallic follower for such flexible washer, such metallic follower being of less diameter than the interior of, the cup chamber so as to permit a rocking motion therein and a centrally located bearing lug 1n the top of such chamber bearing upon such follower.

3.. In a valve fixture for tanks, the combination'of the inlet pipe, I a removable tip therefor, ahinged cup valve for closing said tip rovided with a self supportingrocking was er, and a float carryin ever arm for automatically opening and c osing said valve.

4. In a valve fixture for tanks, the combinationof the inlet pipe, a removable tip Having thus described my invention, what.

therefor, a hinged cup valve for closing said tipprovided with a compressible self supporting rockin washer fitted into :the cup of :said valve for c osing said tip, and a float car- 'ryi'ng' lever arm for automatically opening and closing said Valve. 1

"5. In a valve fixture for tanks, the combi having a central lug projecting into its cu' ,a compressible self su porting ,rockin was er fitted into said cu or closing the'tlp' of the inlet valve, a st' backing for said washer bearing against the lug of said valve, and means for. automatically opening and closing said valve. p p

In testimony .whereof IIhave hereuntoset my hand in presence of two subscribing 'w1tnesses. v

LOUIS A. CORNELIUS.

-Witnesses:

MARY S. TQOKER, MARY SonnrQTrzQ-f nation of the inlet pipe, a hinged cup valve 

